Key moments in the lives of Catholic people are celebrated within the community of the Church. These sacred moments are celebrated as Sacraments. Sacraments are sacred events and actions that allow us to see and experience the Spirit of Jesus at work in our lives. They nourish and strengthen us and call us to nourish one another. Our experience of God is not limited to the Sacraments for God reaches out to us in many ways. For Catholics however the Sacraments are real, personal and dynamic moments of meeting with the God who loves us through and through.
The Church specifically identifies seven such “moments” in a person’s life beginning with birth itself and reaching a climax as a person receives for as many times as necessary the love and support of Jesus in the anointing of the sick. These are the seven sacraments of the Church.
The 7 Sacraments
Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist;
Healing: Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick;
Vocation: Marriage and Holy Orders
Baptism
We recognise the importance of welcome, of feeling comfortable with the new situation and learning what the group expects of us. Baptism is the Church’s way of celebrating entry into the life of the Christian Community which is called upon to further the Reign of God and work for justice peace and love in the world. We are invited in baptism to receive as gift what it is that God is offering – unconditional love.
Confirmation
This event will usually take place in the early teen years at a time when the awareness is growing within the young person of the difficulties and challenges of living out the Christian way of life. Through the gifting of the Holy Spirit, the Sacrament strengthens or deepens in the young person the awareness that God is inviting him/her to be more committed and make their own, the promises that were made on their behalf at Baptism by parents and godparents.
Eucharist
At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the gifts of bread and wine which, through prayer and the calling down of the Holy Spirit, become for us the Body and Blood of Christ and is shared out in Holy Communion. On our own, we cannot effectively carry out the share in Christ’s mission that we have been given. When we draw strength from the Word proclaimed in the Mass and in the food of the Eucharist, all things become possible.
Reconciliation
We all depend upon other people for our intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. We know the joy and contentment that comes to us when we are at peace with self, others and God. However, we know all too well what it means to be at odds with ourselves and those around us. When our actions or lack of actions are unloving there is a need to be reconciled with those in the family of God whom we have offended. The Church provides us with the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we might place our lack of love before God and experience for ourselves his forgiving love through the ministry of the Church, and find peace once again.
Anointing of the Sick
At those moments in our lives when we realise that we are aging, vulnerable and experiencing the onset of physical, psychological or spiritual illness, God invites us to share in a ministry of healing. These are the ways in which we can access the Sacraments of the Sick: the first way is to attend the announced Sacrament of the Sick liturgy or Mass for the Sick and Housebound in our parishes as they take place.
If you know you are going to be admitted to hospital for treatment that is personal to you, please contact Fr David who will be happy to anoint you bringing you Sacrament of the Sick before you attend hospital. Should you find yourself in hospital at short notice and would like a visit from the Hospital Chaplain, mention this to your named nurse and state the request on your admission form. The ward will then contact the hospital chaplain, pass on your details and a visit will be arranged.
Should you need a priest to anoint you or a family member in an emergency while in hospital, please ask a member of staff to request an emergency visit from the on-call Roman Catholic Priest.
Marriage
The Church firmly believes that marriage is a gift from God and the love of a young couple, expressed most powerfully in the exchange of consent with each other in the marriage ceremony, is held up by the whole community as a visible sign of God’s love, mirroring the love that God has for the Church.
A programme of preparation for those intending to marry takes places annually in the deanery for those considering marriage in church. At least six months’ notice needs to be given to a parish priest of a couple’s intention to marry and is best done at the same time as they start making other practical arrangements associated with their forthcoming wedding. Each couple will be notified well in advance when and where the course of preparation is to take place.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders is a call from the church to an individual after a long period of formation to a position of spiritual leadership within the Church and is considered to be a lifetime commitment. Unlike marriage or religious profession, the Sacrament of Holy Orders signifies a ministry of leadership and service rather than a way of life.
If you think you are being called to the Priesthood, and would like further information then please contact the Diocese by email: vocations@rcdhn.org.uk. You can also contact the Vocations Director, Fr John Bagnall directly. Email: vocationspriests@diocesehn.org.uk Tel: 01207 502196 or Fr Shaun Purdy (Vocations Promoter) Tel: 01670 812200. Email: vocationspromoter@diocesehn.org.uk
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